Therapy system including multiple posture sensors

• US 8,231,555 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2009
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Skelton, Dennis M., Davis, Jon P., Miesel, Keith A., Denison, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dougherty, Sean
• Application Number:
  US12/433,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20100280417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 600/587, 600/595, 600/594, 335/12, 604/66, 607/62, 607/63
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4836 Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods A61B5/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14208 with a programmable infusion control system, characterised by the infusion program
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/17 with redundant control systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0693 Brain, cerebrum
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/1053 Stomach
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/1078 Urinary tract
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/1089 Urethra
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/62 Posture
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means

Abstract

Posture-responsive therapy is delivered by the medical system based on posture state input from only one of multiple posture sensors at any given time. An example implantable medical system includes a first posture sensor and a second sensor. A processor controls therapy delivery to the patient based on at least one of a patient posture state or a patient activity level determined based on input from only one of the first or second posture sensors. In some examples, one of multiple posture sensors of an implantable posture-responsive medical system is used to automatically reorient another posture sensor (of the system), which has become disoriented. The disoriented posture sensor may be automatically reoriented for one or more posture states at a time.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a processor of a therapy system, a change in orientation of a first posture sensor of the therapy system, wherein the therapy system provides posture responsive therapy to a patient; and

automatically reorienting, by the processor, the first posture sensor based on posture data from a second posture sensor of the therapy system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein reorienting the first posture sensor comprises:

receiving posture data from the first posture sensor;

associating the posture data from the first posture sensor with a posture state determined based on the posture data from the second posture sensor; and

defining a reoriented posture region corresponding to the posture state with posture reference data based at least in part on the posture data from the first posture sensor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the posture region comprises a posture cone, and wherein the posture reference data comprises one of:

a posture coordinate vector and a tolerance angle that define the posture cone, or

a posture coordinate vector and a range of cosine values corresponding to an angle between the posture coordinate vector and a boundary vector of the posture cone.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the posture region comprises at least one of a posture cone or a posture toroid.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining therapy information associated with a first posture state definition that is based on first posture data from the first posture sensor before reorienting the first posture sensor; and

associating the therapy information with a second posture state definition that is based on second posture data from the first posture sensor after reorienting the first posture sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein reorienting the first posture sensor comprises reorienting the first posture sensor for a plurality of posture states based on the posture data from the second posture sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein reorienting the first posture sensor comprises:

determining a first sense posture vector based on posture data received from the second posture sensor;

comparing the first sense posture vector to a posture region associated with the second posture sensor to determine a posture state of the patient, wherein the posture region is defined by posture reference data comprising a first reference coordinate vector;

subtracting the first reference coordinate vector from the first sense posture vector to determine a difference vector;

determining a second sense posture vector based on posture data received from the first posture sensor while the patient occupies the posture state;

adding the difference vector to the second sense posture vector to determine a second reference coordinate vector for the first posture sensor; and

defining a reoriented posture region for the first posture sensor corresponding to the posture state of the patient with posture reference data based at least in part on the second reference coordinate vector.

8. An implantable medical system comprising:

a first posture sensor that generates posture data indicative of a posture state of a patient;

a second posture sensor that generates posture data indicative of a posture state of the patient; and

a processor that detects a change in orientation of the first posture sensor, receives posture data from the second posture sensor, and reorients the first posture sensor based on the posture data from the second posture sensor.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor reorients the first posture sensor by at least associating the posture data from the first posture sensor with a first posture state determined based on the posture data from the second posture sensor, and defining a reoriented posture region corresponding to the first posture state with posture reference data based at least in part on the posture data from first posture sensor.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the posture region comprises a posture cone, and wherein the posture reference data comprises one of:

a posture coordinate vector and a tolerance angle that define the posture cone, or

a posture coordinate vector and a range of cosine values corresponding to an angle between the posture coordinate vector and a boundary vector of the posture cone.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the posture region comprises a posture toroid.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor determines therapy information associated with a first posture state definition that is based on first posture data from the first posture sensor before reorienting the first posture sensor and associates the therapy information with a second posture state definition that is based on second posture data from the first posture sensor after reorienting the first posture sensor.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor reorients the first posture sensor by at least reorienting the first posture sensor for a plurality of posture states based on the posture data from the second posture sensor.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the first posture sensor is arranged proximate a subcutaneous therapy delivery site within the patient, and the second posture sensor is arranged on or within an implantable medical device comprising the processor.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor reorients the first posture sensor by at least:

determining a first sense posture vector based on the posture data received from the second posture sensor;

comparing the first sense posture vector to a posture region associated with the second posture sensor to determine a first posture state of the patient, wherein the posture region is defined by posture reference data comprising a first reference coordinate vector;

subtracting the first reference coordinate vector from the first sense posture vector to determine a difference vector;

determining a second sense posture vector based on posture data received from the first posture sensor while the patient occupies the first posture state;

adding the difference vector to the second sense posture vector to determine a second reference coordinate vector for the first posture sensor; and

defining a reoriented posture region for the first posture sensor corresponding to the first posture state of the patient with posture reference data based at least in part on the second reference coordinate vector.

16. A computer readable medium comprising instructions configured to cause one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

detecting a change in orientation of a first posture sensor of a therapy system, wherein the therapy system provides posture responsive therapy to a patient; and

automatically reorienting the first posture sensor based on posture data from a second posture sensor.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to reorient the first posture sensor by at least:

receiving posture data from the first posture sensor;

associating the posture data from the first posture sensor with a posture state determined based on the posture data from the second posture sensor; and

defining a reoriented posture region corresponding to the posture state with posture reference data based at least in part on the posture data from the first posture sensor.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to determine therapy information associated with a first posture state definition that is based on first posture data from the first posture sensor before reorienting the first posture sensor, and associate the therapy information with a second posture state definition that is based on second posture data from the first posture sensor after reorienting the first posture sensor.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to reorient the first posture sensor by at least:

determining a first sense posture vector based on posture data received from the second posture sensor;

comparing the first sense posture vector to a posture region associated with the second posture sensor to determine a posture state of the patient, wherein the posture region is defined by posture reference data comprising a first reference coordinate vector;

subtracting the first reference coordinate vector from the first sense posture vector to determine a difference vector;

determining a second sense posture vector based on posture data received from the first posture sensor while the patient occupies the posture state;

adding the difference vector to the second sense posture vector to determine a second reference coordinate vector for the first posture sensor; and

defining a reoriented posture region for the first posture sensor corresponding to the posture state of the patient with posture reference data based at least in part on the second reference coordinate vector.

20. A system comprising:

means for detecting a change in orientation of a first posture sensor of a therapy system, wherein the therapy system provides posture responsive therapy to a patient; and

means for automatically reorienting the first posture sensor based on posture data from a second posture sensor of the therapy system.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for automatically reorienting the first posture sensor based on posture data from a second posture sensor of the therapy system receives posture data from the first posture sensor, associates the posture data from the first posture sensor with a posture state determined based on the posture data from the second posture sensor, and defines a reoriented posture region corresponding to the posture state with posture reference data based at least in part on the first posture sensor posture data.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for automatically reorienting the first posture sensor based on posture data from a second posture sensor of the therapy system determines a first sense posture vector based on posture data received from the second posture sensor, compares the first sense posture vector to a posture region associated with the second posture sensor, wherein the posture region is defined by posture reference data comprising a first reference coordinate vector to determine a posture state of the patient, subtracts the first reference coordinate vector from the first sense posture vector to determine a difference vector, determines a second sense posture vector based on posture data received from the first posture sensor while the patient occupies the posture state, adds the difference vector to the second sense posture vector to determine a second reference coordinate vector for the first posture sensor, and defines a reoriented posture region for the first posture sensor corresponding to the posture state of the patient with posture reference data based at least in part on the second reference coordinate vector.